Pipe is commonly used for conveying fluids from one location to another. For example, pipe is used for conveying oil, water, or other liquids along the surface of the ground or in a horizontal trench below the surface of the ground. Ordinarily, the pipe sections are threaded at each end such that each pipe section can be threadably connected to the next pipe section.
Although powered apparatus is commonly used for connecting and disconnecting pipe sections used in vertical environments (e.g., oil wells), pipe sections for use in horizontal environments are conventionally connected manually. That is, one threaded pipe section is aligned with another threaded pipe section and then the pipe sections are threaded together by means of manual labor. This is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. For example, approximately 12-15 minutes may be required to manually connect two sections of threaded pipe together.
Furthermore, the use of manual labor often results in inconsistent pipe joints. In order to prevent leakage of corrosive fluid from the pipeline, each joint must be extremely tight when the pipe is laid. Typically, when using manual labor to install threaded pipe, some of the pipe joints are not tightened to the desired extent. As a result, with the passage of time some of the joints will begin to leak fluid. Because the fluid is often corrosive, it will corrode the joint. Eventually the pipe will leak. Serious contamination of the environment can result, and costly clean-up is then required.
Another disadvantage associated with the use of manual labor to connect threaded pipe together is the risk of personal injury. For example, there is always the risk of back injury when connecting pipe sections together manually.
Pipe sections which are not threaded may be secured together by welding, zaplocking, or fusing (plastic) pipe. The zaplock method uses pipe which has a bell shape on one end. The other end of the pipe has a groove around it. Epoxy is applied to the grooved end of the pipe which is then forced into the bell shaped end of another pipe section to form a joint.
The conventional process for welding sections of pipe together involves laying pipe sections onto timber skids along the intended path of the pipeline. A bulldozer with a sidearm known as a sideboom is then used to cradle the pipe sections in proper position so that they can be welded together. Sometimes the pipe sections are also doped and taped before the welded pipe is lowered into a ditch.
There has not heretofore been provided apparatus for laying pipe having the advantages of the apparatus of the present invention.